My family and I spent 3 weeks in Siem Reap together, and we were pleasantly surprised at how good the food scene is there! We were spoilt for choice and enjoyed eating out daily at a huge range of socially-responsible and vegan-friendly cafes and restaurants. Being a bustling city with tourism as the major industry, English and other languages are widely spoken. I found it easy to get food at places that were not vegan-specific, and dietary requirements were always handled professionally and efficiently.
Siem Reap Vegan Restaurants
These were my favourite places to eat, though we had great experiences pretty much everywhere we tried. Several more vegan eateries have been recommended to me since our visit so I’ve linked to them below too.
Which meals are catered for
- breakfast: typically 7:00am – 11:00 or all day
- lunch: typically 11:30am – 2:30pm
- dinner: typically 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Rough price guide
All prices are in USD in Cambodia. Prices below based on main portions.
- cheap: $2.00 – $4.00
- moderate: $4.50 – $6.00
- expensive: $6.50+
Artillery Café
breakfast, lunch & dinner / moderate
With super-foods abounding and a huge range of vegan options, I had trouble deciding what to order at Artillery! I love their focus on healthy dishes, superfood smoothies, nutritious snacks and cold-pressed juices. Their detox programs sound divine too. And did I mention home-made vegan sorbets? Vegan wine? Cashew milk golden latte and coconut milk matcha? I was in heaven!
In the end I chose fresh pancakes with fruit for breakfast, which tasted as good as it looks! And their chocolate superfood smoothie, hot drinks and sorbets were just delicious too.
I would’ve been happy to eat at Artillery daily but my family aren’t quite so into health-foods as I am. Still I managed to get us all into their other premise in Phnom Penh for a meal before we left Cambodia!
Details
Haven
serves meat / lunch & dinner / expensive
Haven is a social enterprise and training facility for vulnerable and underprivileged young adults. It is run according to Swiss standards by a small team which includes a Cambodian head chef. All food is MSG-free and they have a thorough understanding of dietary requirements, so there is no need to worry about hidden animal products in any vegan dish. They have a great range of food that is vegan or can be made vegan on request.
Haven also has a large dining area and even though they are a little out-of-town, they are still always quite full. The young trainees can be a little inexperienced, but the food was outstanding and the portions were big. I enjoyed a vegan version of Khmer Amok, the national dish of Cambodia which is usually served with fish or meat. I had been really wanting to try it and it didn’t disappoint!
Details
Marum
serves meat / lunch & dinner / expensive
Marum is one of the Tree Alliance’s training restaurants for former street youth and other marginalised people across South East Asia. They have many vegetarian and vegan options, and are heavily influenced by local cuisine and ingredients. All plates are designed to be shared and are presented beautifully.
Marum is also one of very few places we found in South East Asia to have a separate children’s menu available! They also stocked board games, so they’re quite a kid-friendly destination. But don’t despair if you’re a childless traveller: Marum has several large dining areas and is not marketed as a family restaurant. It is often booked out even though there is room for a lot of diners, which is testament to the quality of their food. We finally got a table the third time we tried! I loved their crispy noodle salad with sweet potato spring rolls, and a spicy vegetarian curry with quinoa.
Details
Peace Café
breakfast, lunch & dinner / cheap
We visited Peace café for both a breakfast and a dinner meal, and dining in their spacious outdoor garden was lovely. Their extensive menu is all vegetarian or vegan, and most of the vegetarian dishes can be made vegan on request. As well as Asian dishes, Peace café has a great range of salads, western dishes, juices, smoothies and snacks.
Breakfast was fairly simple and didn’t compare to some of the more expensive breakfasts we had in Siem Reap, but it was still fresh and great value. Dinner was excellent, and we made the mistake of ordering too much as it was so cheap and there were so many options we wanted to try! They also have a yoga studio and fair-trade store on the premises.
Details
Sister Srey Café
serves meat / breakfast & lunch / moderate
This café is always pumping! We went for brunch and drove past it a few times more, and it was always full of happy guests. We didn’t have to wait long for a table though, and while it was loud and a little bit squishy downstairs, we didn’t feel uncomfortable or made to hurry up and leave.
Sister Srey has a great menu for all diets, and is very considerate of all allergies and other requirements. Many vegan options are available for eating and drinking, and all reports from my vegan and non-vegan family and friends were excellent. I loved their smoothie bowl and a raw chocolate brownie too, because why not have dessert when it’s available and so temptingly-presented?
Details
The Little Red Fox Espresso
serves meat / breakfast & lunch (all day menu) / moderate
This was one of our favourite breakfast spots, so we visited several times! They have a reputation for the best coffee in Siem Reap, and my partner reckons that rep is correct. They have a huge range of house specialty brews made from South-East Asian grown coffee beans. They also provide locally-sourced teas, proper chai lattes and several plant-based milks are available.
I enjoyed their vegan bircher muesli and smoothie bowls, and loved being able to get a brewed chai latte with soy milk. The Fox has a great atmosphere, with tables upstairs and downstairs, plenty of light and excellent service.
Details
Vibe
breakfast, lunch & dinner / expensive
Vibe makes everything on premises except their bread and kombucha, and everything is 100% plant-based. They source most ingredients locally and organically, and strive to support ethical suppliers too. That’s all well and good, but what is the food like?
Well I loved it, but my family weren’t quite so enthusiastic. Remember I really love super-healthy food, but they’re not so taken with it? Yep. I would’ve liked to try everything on the menu at Vibe, but instead I got to sample their quesadillas and my kid’s felafels (both really yummy). My partner was happy with his burger but not enough to go back, unfortunately. However if you’re like me and love loads of healthy options, with vegan versions of traditional dishes like omelettes and ‘tuna’ sandwiches and some raw dishes as well, you’ll like Vibe too.
Vibe offers online delivery services as well as a cosy space to eat-in.
Details
Places we didn’t get to try but come recommended
Surplus: fully vegan and zero-waste
Green Go Garden: fully vegan
La Pasta: has a separate vegan menu
The Veg “G” Table Café: vegetarian & vegan
Recommended Hotels in Siem Reap
Babel Guesthouse – We highly recommend Babel after our stay there. It has a lovely garden café and bar open all day for meals and snacks, the rooms are clean and spacious, staff are lovely and the general feel of the place is welcoming and fun. They were accommodating of my vegan requirements with dishes like muesli, vegetable soup, hommous and bruschetta available for me to eat. They also offered a fully vegan Christmas option for their Christmas Eve party, which was wonderful and delicious!
Recently Babel has expanded their standard vegan offerings to include smoothie bowls for breakfast, and from January 2019 they will have jackfruit and refried bean tacos, vegan sandwiches and salads available for lunch and dinner too. All food at Babel is made from local ingredients and is freshly made-to-order, and their garden is a lovely place to hang out and meet other travellers. And they are very environmentally and socially-conscious too, with a refill station on the premises, excellent training and support for their staff, recycling programs and much more.
Details
- Address: 738 Wat Bo Road, Salakamroeuk, Siem Reap
- Facebook; Instagram; book a room
Apartments
There are many sites for apartment rentals in Siem Reap, with AirBnB probably being one of the most popular. Prices are generally comparable to budget hotels, especially if you’re willing to get a room in a shared apartment. Book AirBnB →
Special Offer!
Sign up with AirBnB and you can receive a free $40 credit to use on your first booking!We really enjoyed our time in Siem Reap, and especially liked being able to support Khmer people by seeking out social enterprises as they are committed to helping people who need it, and providing real skills for their future. It’s a great feeling to know your tourist income is being used to benefit locals rather than exploit them and their hometown.
This is a guest post from Emma Walmsley of Small Footprints, Big Adventures. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Emma has made travel a priority in her family’s life, as she and her partner want to show their kids the world as they grow up. They travel as sustainably as possible and are always seeking great food and supportive local experiences. Emma is vegan and prefers gluten-free, her children Dante and Allegra are vegetarian, and partner Anthony is an omnivore; so they really get to test the range of offerings when they dine out! Emma blogs about responsible travel plus sustainable and ethical lifestyle topics at Small Footprints, Big Adventures.
2 Comments on “Vegan Siem Reap | Best Restaurants, Food Tours, Hotels & More”
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Perfect blog!that’s some epic comfort food right there!